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Wyandotte Nation chief recounts history and economic ties to Kansas
Summary
Chief Billy Friend told the committee the Wyandotte Nation retains long-standing ties to Kansas, operates two class 2 gaming facilities employing close to 400 people, and contributes annual payments under MOUs to local governments; he asked the committee to recommend the compact.
Chief Billy Friend of the Wyandotte Nation told the committee that although the tribe's seat of government is in Oklahoma, the nation "has a long history of migration, removal, and survival" and maintained rights and cultural connections in Kansas, including ties to the Huron Cemetery. "It is an honor to be with you," Chief Friend said as he opened his testimony.
Chief Friend detailed the tribe's existing gaming operations inside Kansas, identifying the venues as 7th Street Casino and Crosswinds Casino and saying the facilities "presently employ close to 400 people." He said the tribe has memoranda of understanding with local governments that provide funds to support police, fire and EMS: $480,000 per year to the Unified Government in Wyandotte County and Kansas City (as described in testimony), $750,000 a year to Park City, and about $125,000 per year to Sedgwick County. Chief Friend also summarized litigation history, noting federal court decisions in 2006 (Shriner Tract) and 2023 (Park City) that, he said, held the tribe has a right to game on its lands under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act; he said the tribe submitted a request in August 2024 to negotiate a class 3 compact and appreciates working with the governor's office and attorney general's office in the current negotiations.
Chief Friend closed by saying the tribe welcomed the committee's review and offered to answer questions; the committee did not raise questions during his appearance.
